The Growing Child: Preschool (4 to 5 Years)

Children progress at different rates. They have different interests, abilities, and personalities. But there are some common milestones many children reach from ages 4 to 5.

What can my child do at these ages?

As your child grows, you’ll notice him or her developing new and exciting abilities.

A child age 4:

Sings a song

Skips and hops on one foot

Catches and throws a ball overhand

Walks downstairs alone

Draws a person with 3 separate body parts

Builds a block tower with 10 blocks

Understands the difference between fantasy and reality

A child age 5:

Jumps rope

Walks backward

Balances on one foot with eyes closed

Uses scissors

Begins learning to tie shoes

Copies shapes while drawing

Dresses himself or herself

Knows his or her address and phone number

Recognizes and recites the alphabet

What can my child say?

Speech development in children is very exciting for parents. They can watch their children become social beings that can interact with others.

A child age 4:

May put 4 to 5 words together into a sentence

Will ask questions constantly

May know 1 or more colors

Likes to tell stories

May use some bad words (if he or she has heard them spoken repeatedly)

A child age 5:

May put 6 to 8 words together into a sentence

May know 4 or more colors

Knows the days of the week and months

Can name coins and money

Can understand commands with multiple instructions

Talks often

What does my child understand?

As a child's vocabulary gets larger, so does his or her understanding of the world around him or her. Children at this age begin to understand concepts and can compare abstract ideas.

A child age 4:

Begins to understand time

Begins to become more aware of people around him or her

May obey parent's rules, but doesn’t understand right from wrong

Believes that his or her own thoughts can make things happen

A child age 5:

Has more understanding of time

Is curious about real facts about the world

May compare rules of parents with that of friends

How will my child interact with others?

An important part of growing up is learning to interact and socialize with others. This can be a frustrating transition for the parent. Children go through different stages. Some of these are not always easy to handle.

A child age 4:

Is very independent, wants to do things on his or her own

Is selfish, and doesn’t like to share

Is moody. Mood swings are common.

May be aggressive during mood swings and become aggressive to family members

Has a number of fears

May have imaginary friends

Likes to explore the body and may play healthcare provider

Might "run away" or threaten to do so

Fights with siblings

Will often play with others in groups

A child age 5:

Is generally more cooperative than a 4-year-old

Is generally more responsible than a 4-year-old

Is eager to please others and make them happy

Has good manners

Dresses himself or herself completely without help

Gets along well with parents

Likes to cook and play sports

May become more attached to a parent as he or she starts attending school

How can I encourage my child's social abilities?

You can help boost your preschool child's social abilities by:

Offering compliments for good behavior and achievements

Encouraging your child to talk to you and be open with his or her feelings

Reading to your child, singing songs, and talking with him or her

Spending quality time with your child and showing him or her new experiences

Encouraging your child to ask questions and explore

Encouraging physical activity with supervision

Arranging times for your child to be with other children, such as in play groups

Giving your child the chance to make choices, when appropriate

Using time-out for behavior that isn’t acceptable

Encouraging your child to express his or her anger in an appropriate manner

Limiting TV time (or other screen time) to 1 to 2 hours a day. Encourage free time to be used for other activities.